Sex-Trafficking Victim Arrested for Selling Sex

Another example of how topsy-turvy our understanding of "sex trafficking" has become in America.

JohnCrider/Flickr

Another week, another example of how topsy-turvy our understanding of "sex trafficking" has become in America. This latest case comes out of Kansas, where a Chinese woman offering sexual services from a Wichita massage parlor has both been described by law enforcement as a victim of sex trafficking and been convicted of prostitution. 

The owner of the massage parlor, Samir F. Elias, 60, was also arrested. Last Friday, he was charged in federal court with one count of transporting an illegal alien, one count of harboring an illegal alien, one count of harboring an alien for the purpose of prostitution, and two counts of money laundering. Though headlines on a Justice Department press release and local-news reports all announce that he was arrested for sex trafficking, no such charges were actually brought. 

The Chinese woman, who went by the name "Angel," worked for and lived with Elias. According to the Wichita Police Department, Angel made $40 for a 30-minute massage and $60 for a 60-minute massage, of which she was required to give Elias $10 or $20, respectively; any tips she kept entirely.

Angel was arrested by an undercover vice detective after offering him sexual services during a massage. She was convicted in Wichita municipal court on one count of sale of sexual relations, a conviction she is currently appealing.

The Department of Homeland Security aided the Wichita Police Department with the case. 

The idea behind America's strict laws against sex-trafficking is, theoretically, to punish activity that goes beyond consensual prostitution between adults; implicit in the crime of sex trafficking is supposed to be some element of force, fraud, or coercion employed by the perpetrator. But all too often, prosecutors have started using anti-human-trafficking statutes to go after people for whom this glove doesn't fit. And even when they don't actually bring sex-trafficking charges against adults engaged in prostitution, they both use them for leverage in getting pleas to lesser charges and talk to the press and public as if they have—thereby further sowing the seeds of sex-trafficking "epidemic" in everyone's minds. 

Comments

[Crusty Juggler]

Is there anything DHS can't do, other than stopping two people they were warned about from bombing the Boston Marathon ?

[B. Woodrow Chippenhaus]

Convince me that the TSA is necessary.

[Florida Man]

It's necessary for high school dropouts to get a cushy government job.

[Hugh Akston]

Since she's an illegal immigrant, I assume they're going to charge her with rape too.

[Elizabeth Nolan Brown]

She probably will be deported -- unless she cops to the victimhood they want to assign here.

[Hugh Akston]

So what happens if she goes along with playing the victim? Will they put her through some kind of diversion program or does she still get deported, only nicer?

[Elizabeth Nolan Brown]

It could go either way, but there are special visas and other programs specifically for illegal-immigrant victims of sex trafficking

[Tommy_Grand]

if she's the victim she will be invited to the white house

[Cyto]

I haz confuse.

So, the massage parlor guy only gets $20 bucks an hour out of the legitimate massage business. Makes no money from any illegal prostitution - this from the government's allegations - and he's guilty of sex trafficking and money laundering (presumably for prostitution). That's just incoherent.

[Tejicano]

Well if you won't say it...

There's something inscrutable about this.

[Jerryskids]

Scrutable's another 20 bucks.

[SQRLSY One]

"Angel made $40 for a 30-minute massage and $60 for a 60-minute massage, of which she was required to give Elias $10 or $20, respectively; any tips she kept entirely."

That's about the same ratio of my earnings that Uncle Socialism takes out of my earnings, to make my charity choices forcibly for me, on my behalf, and to drop bombs (again on my behalf) on innocents, far, far away.

So then I am at least a 1/3-part tax slave, same as "Angel" is / was a sex slave, in about the same degree... I expect Uncle Socialism to BUST himself for "tax slave trafficking" really-really soon now!

[The Hyperbole]

...something, something, fungibility of money, something...

/Ron Paul

[Jerryskids]

Though headlines on a Justice Department press release and local-news reports all announce that he was arrested for sex trafficking, no such charges were actually brought.

"International sex-trafficking" is what merits a DoJ press release, though. If they admitted they just literally - LITERALLY - made a federal case out of some woman at a massage parlor offering happy endings people might start to wonder about that whole "Nothing left to cut!" meme.

[Crusty Juggler]

From the linked Justisce Department press release:

Investigators learned that:

The woman lived at the massage parlor or at times at Elias' home.

She usually worked seven days a week.

She had no formal training in how to give a massage.

Patrons paid $40 for 30 minutes and $60 for an hour of massage. She paid Elias $10 of the fee for the $40 massage and $20 of the fee for the $60 massage. She was allowed to keep her tips.

The woman was convicted in Wichita municipal court on a charge of sale of sexual relations. She is appealing the conviction.If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on counts 1, 2 and 3, and a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up $500,000 on counts 4 and 5.

No formal training?!

[Rhywun]

I.e. unlicensed.

[SimonD]

Well hell, no wonder they're throwing the book at her. We can't have unlicensed hookers running the streets all willy-nilly. Think of the children, you cretin you!

(/need I even say it?)

[Tommy_Grand]

anarchist. next you'll claim we should allow women to braid hair w/ no government permit

[AlmightyJB]

The media should not let that slide. How hard is it to ask the question "If she's a trafficing victim, then why did you charge her?"

[JoWaDat889]

The US Kangaroo Court system is a joke.

http://www.Anon-Net.tk

[Trigger Warning]

Why is the fucking Department of Homeland Security concerning itself with massage parlor handjobs in fucking Kansas?

[Robert]

That's "the Dept. of Homeland Fucking Security". As in, "Slave off, fucker."

[A Cynic's Guide to Zen]

"There's nothing as secure as the grip on the tip, Sirrah."

[lophehuhub]

Fantastic work-from-home opportunity for anyone... Start working for three to eight hr a day and get from $five-$ten thousand each month... Regular weekly payments... You Try Must..........

___ http://www.alpha-careers.com

[BillEverman]

Samir, is that you? You know this is what got you in trouble the last time, right?

[AddictionMyth]

Stupid fucking pigs don't understand the laws they are sworn to uphold. They asked for sex, that is not sex trafficking. What the hell is wrong with them. Ever heard of obligation under oath? Seriously this is not the most sensitive information under the sun. They need to be examining Clinton's email server if they want to investigate a real crime. I for one will not stand for this.

[A Cynic's Guide to Zen]

"Alright, that will be 35 bucks for the Wincing Winston, 45 for the Blueberry Sunday, and 60 for the Ho Chi Win."

"Are you a cop?"

"Are you?"

"You know what, nevermind. I am just going to go bug my wife."

[James Smith]

I have to give credit to NYC for once. The NYC DA does not prosecute sex trafficking victims when they are picked up for prostitution and similair crimes. Rather they treat them as the victims they actually are. instead they go after the traffickers, while helping the trafficking victims. One of the very few things NYC does right. Or at least, tries to do right.
Not that I enjoy reading the NY Times, but here's an article discussing the policy and implementation. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05......html?_r=0

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